1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a file update method that updates files in storage means in which, e.g., material files and a scenario file that controls the material files have been stored; an information processing system and an information processing method that transfers, e.g., material files and a scenario file through a network, or the like, and then reproduces the files at a transfer destination; a presentation system and a presentation method that performs a presentation using, e.g., material files and a scenario file; and a storage medium that is used to realize each of the above-described methods.
2. Related Background Art
Recently, a multimedia presentation system that reproduces multimedia material files such as a still image, a motion image (or animation), a voice, a character, and the like, according to a sequence described in a scenario file that controls the multimedia material files in a time series, has received attention.
As shown in FIG. 7, the multimedia presentation system includes a PC (personal computer) 111, a multimedia server 113, which is connected to the PC 111 through a network 112, and a monitor 114 and speakers 115, which are connected to the multimedia server 113.
Next, a general use of this system will be explained.
Multimedia materials, such as an image, a voice, a character, and the like, to be used in a multimedia presentation are collected and filed by the PC 111. The filed multimedia materials, or material files, are edited by a dedicated authoring tool for the multimedia presentation system. More specifically, icons representing the voice, the still image, the motion image, and the character are dragged and dropped (i.e., in a drag-and-drop operation), and pasted according to a time base. Then a scenario file, which is written to describe a sequence for displaying the material files, is formed on the basis of information obtained from the pasting.
Afterwards, the formed scenario file and the material files, which together constitute a multimedia program, are transferred to the multimedia server 113 through the network 112. The transferred multimedia program is recorded into an HDD (hard disk drive) 120 of the server 113, and then reproduced in response to an instruction from a not-shown terminal to be provided to a viewer (or audience).
The above-described multimedia presentation system, which performs a presentation by using the multimedia materials, also performs a file update process according to a following procedure. FIG. 8 is a notional view showing a conventional file update process.
(1) The PC 111 transfers a new multimedia program, such as a program 131 shown in FIG. 8, to the HDD 120 of the multimedia server 113.
(2) If a directory named “PRESEN” of which name is identical to that being transferred does not exist in the HDD 120 of the server 113 at the transfer destination, a directory named “PRESEN” is formed at the transfer destination.
(3) A scenario file named “a.SEN” and multimedia material files named “ab.jpg”, “a.txt”, and “a.snd”, which are linked to and controlled or used by this scenario file, are recorded into the directory named “PRESEN” in the HDD 120 of the transfer destination. At this time, the contents of the HDD 120 of the multimedia server 113 are as shown in the program 131 of FIG. 8.
(4) Next, for example, it is assumed that an English version of a presentation scenario is necessary. In this case, a multimedia program 132 of FIG. 8 in which only a narration of the previously transferred multimedia program 131 of FIG. 8 has been changed is additionally transferred to the HDD 120.
(5) Because the directory named “PRESEN” now exists at the transfer destination, it is unnecessary to form such a directory.
(6) Because a scenario file named “b.SEN” does not exist, a scenario file “b.SEN” is recorded in the directory named “PRESEN” of the HDD 120.
(7) Because the image material file “ab.jpg” already exists, this file is recorded only in a case where a time stamp of the file at the PC 111 side has been updated.
(8) Because a voice material file named “b.snd” and a character material file named “b.txt” have been Anglicized and do not exist in the HDD 120, these files are recorded into the HDD 120. Thus, the directory named “PRESEN” in the HDD 120 of the multimedia server 113 corresponding to a multimedia program 133, such as shown in FIG. 8, results.
(9) Next, it is assumed that the presentation in English becomes unnecessary, and the scenario file named “b.SEN” is deleted. However, because there is a possibility that the material files may be referred to or used by another scenario file, the material files are left as is. Thus, the directory named “PRESEN” in the HDD 120 of the multimedia server 113 corresponding to a multimedia program 134, as shown in FIG. 8, results. It can be understood that unnecessary files (i.e., “b.snd” and “b.txt”) of which file names start with “b” remain in the directory “PRESEN”.
In the above-described related background art, there are the following problems.
As explained in the above-described procedure (9), in a case in which plural scenario files exist in the same directory, it is sometimes necessary to delete one of the scenario files. In the above case, for example, when the scenario file named “b.SEN” for the English version is unnecessary, if the material files used by this scenario file are all deleted, the material file named “ab.jpg”, which is also used by the scenario file named “a.SEN” for the Japanese version, is deleted. Thus, a situation is caused in which the scenario file for the Japanese version does not operate properly.
In order to eliminate such inconvenience, as shown in the multimedia program 134 of FIG. 8, it is possible to delete only the scenario file named “b.SEN” but not delete any material files. In this case, as described above, there is the problem that unnecessary material files are accumulated in the HDD 120 of the multimedia server 133, and disk capacity is uselessly consumed.
Further, there has been proposed a method that uses a link count, such as used in a UNIX filing system. In this method, how many scenario files a material file is referred to or used by is maintained or held or stored, a countdown is performed every time a scenario file is deleted, and the material file itself is deleted when the count reaches “0”. However, because it is impossible to maintain or hold such a value for a material file such as an ordinary image, a voice, or the like, this method is inapplicable.
In order to eliminate these problems conventionally, a directory of a hard disk is periodically deleted together with the scenario file and the material files.